Glider toy



Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES GIJDER TOY Joseph H. members, Covington, Ky., assignor to, Elmer C. Hake, Qovngton, Ky.

Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,835 -9 Claims. (01.465-81) 'I'his invention relates to a glider toy, and especially to a miniature glider adapted to` be projected by means of a gun or catapulting device. A An object of the invention is to provide a miniature glider of novel construction, including means whereby the force of impact thereof with a surface or obstruction is cushioned in various ways to preclude injury -to or destruction of the glider.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in connection with a miniature glider, whereby the cushioning means above mentioned performs the additional function of determining the line of flight of the glider.

A further object of the invention is to provide a miniature glider construction embracing the above advantages with low manufacturing cost and extreme simplicity.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the glider mounted upon a projector or gun, in position for ilight.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

'Ine miniature glider herein illustrated and described may be projected into space in any suitable manner, such as by means of a gun-like device one form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The projecting device, in general, may comprise a tubular barrel or muzzle 4 having a longitudinal slot 5 for guiding the glider along the barrel while a spring urged plunger 6 projects the glider forwardly. The plunger is adapted to be maintained in a retracted position by means of any suitable trigger catch arrangement I. The distance that the spring 8 may project the plunger is limited by the plunger stop rod 9. The foregoing is believed to suilice' for a description of the projecting apparatus, the particular form of which is immaterial to the invention, except for the provision of slot 5.

The miniature glider comprises a body I2 the rear end of which is suitably slotted vertically and horizontally, or otherwise adapted to support the tail wings or fins I3 and I4. The lower portion of the body is slotted at opposite sides thereof to provide the T-shaped guide portion indicated at I5 of Fig. 3, which guide is received in the slot or channel 5 of barrel 4 as shown, to hold the glider in place upon the barrel and to guide it forwardly when the glider is projected by means of plunger 6.

'I'he nose of the glider is provided with a properly weighted suction cup I 6 of softv rubber or other suitable material, for the purpose of holding the glider against a surface or object at which the glider is directed. The suction cup may be replaced by a sharpened or pointed pin, if desired, and in either of these constructions the cup or pin, as the case may be, is properly referred to as a striking head.

The particular manner and means for mounting the striking head is of considerable importance, not only because of its precluding injury to the glider at the end of its fiight, but also for reason of simplicity and reduction of manufacturing cost. As will be understood, the striking head is fixed upon the forward end of a longitudinally slidable and adjustable rod or bar I'I which is adapted for sliding movement along the length of a slot or channel I8 formed in the glider body. The slot and also the rod or bar Il preferably are rectangular of cross section, so that formation of the slot in the upper face I9 of the glider body may be a simple operation. The slot preferably extends the full length of the body,

and its rearward portion may be used to support the tail piece or rudder I3.

From the nose of the glider body to some point below or near the fixed block 20, which block may be glued or otherwise fixed upon the upper face I9 of the body, the depth of the slot or channel I8 decreases until it is' more shallow than the width of bar or rod II, the width being considered the distance between the upper and lower horizontal edges of the bar or rod, as shown in Eig. 2.

A yielding force is applied to the upper and fl' lower edges 2I and 22 of the rod or bar, by resiliently mounting the front wing structure in the manner now described. It will be observed that the body of the glider is provided with a transverse bore 23 intermediate its ends, and a transverse pin 24 near the forward end thereof. The ends of the pin extend slightly from opposite sides of the body. A rubber band or the like 25 is inserted through the bore or opening 23, crossed upon itself over the wing structure, and anchored upon opposite ends of the pin 24. This rubber band yieldingly maintains the front wing structure in contact upon the upper face I9 of the glider body and the upper edge 2| of the rod or bar I'I. By the term frontwing structure, is meant either the front wing proper, indicated at 26, or the wing assembly which comprises the wing 26 and a block 21 upon which the wing rests. The reason for providing the block 21 is to easily establish the proper lift angle for the wing, which Isl result could be accomplished without the block by permanently curving the wing or by cutting away part of the body surface 2| at a rearwardly inclining angle. If the block 21 is used, it may be glued or otherwise xed at the mid-point of the The particular manner of mounting the front wing structure just described, allows for a yielding cooking movement or slight rotation of the wing in the event that one end of the wing strikes an obstruction or object during night, thereby greatly reducing the likelihood of wing destruction. Also, the downward yielding force applied to the front wing structure by the rubber band, results in a gradually increasing frlctional Vforce upon the rod or bar il as said rod or bar is moved rearwardly into the vtapered channel I8. By this means, the impact force resulting from the striking head squarely meeting an obstruction or objective, is gradually or progressively absorbed with the result that any tendency of the glider to bounce back is eectively overcome, and the striking head therefore is afforded a better opportunity tcx itself to the surface or object struck thereby. By starting the glider on its course withlthe weighted striking head disposed at different distances forwardly of the body, it is possible to alter the course of the glider, or the arc of the path of flight. Besides the advantages just stated, the structure has the further advantages of inexpensive manufacturing cost and simple assembly due to the limited number of simple parts employed.

What is claimed is: i

1. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body and a wing structure supported thereon for sustaining the body in flight, al bar supported upon the body for shifting movement lengthwise thereof, a striking head on the bar including a suction cup, and means for applying a, progressively increasing force to the bar as the bar is shifted in one direction relative to the glider body.

2. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body and 'a wing structure supported thereon for sustaining the body in flight, a bar supported upon the body for shifting movement lengthwise thereof, a striking head mounted upon the longitudinally movable bar, and means for limiting a lengthwise shifting of the bar such as results from impact of the striking head with an obstruction in the line of flight.

3. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body and wings supported thereon for sustaining the body in flight, and a weighted striking head carried by the body and adjustable to various distances of extension therefrom, for determining the are of the path of flight.

4. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body having a tapering opentopped slot formed therein lengthwise of the body, a. bar, striking head at one end of the bar, the opposite end being slidingly received in the slot of the body, the width of said bar at said opposite end being such that the bar is progressively elevated above the slot, due to the taper of the slot, when the bar is advanced lengthwise within the slot, and a. wing structure overlying une slot and mounted to yieldingly abut the bar during the advancing movement thereof.

5. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body having a tapering opentopped slot formed therein lengthwise of the body, a bar, striking head at one end of the bar, the

opposite end being slidingly received in the slot' of the body, the width of said bar at said opposite end being such that the bar is progressively elevated above the slot, due to the taper of the slot, when the bar is advanced lengthwise within the slot, and means mounted to yieldingly abut the bar during the advancing movement thereof.

6. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body having an open-topped slot formed therein lengthwise of the body, wings supported upon the body for sustm-ning the body in flight, a striking head including a bar extending forwardly of the body and slidable in the slot, and means at the open top of the slot cooperating with the bar for effecting a wedging of the bar with a gradually increasing frictional force as the bar is progressively advanced into the slot.

7. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body having a slot formed in an upper face thereof, means on the body for anchoring a resilient band which extends across the slotted upper face of the body, a striking head for the glider, including a. bar having a width greater than vthe depth of the slot of the body, and received in said slot for longitudinal sliding movement, and a wing structure secured to the body solely by means of the resilient band, the wing structure being extended transversely of the body and disposed beneath a portion of the resilient band, in yielding contact upon' an edge of the bar, whereby the wing is flexibly supported while at the same time it yieldingly contacts the bar to yieldingly oppose movement of the bar along the slot.

8. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body having a slot formed in an upper face thereof, means on the body for anchoring a resilient band which extends across the slotted upper f ace of the body, a. striking head for the glider, including a bar received in said siot for longitudinal sliding movement, and a wing structure secured to the body solely by means of the resilient band, the wing structure being extended transversely of the body and disposed beneath a portion of the band, whereby the wing is flexibly supported,v and means including the resilient band acting to gradually increase the opposition to movement of the bar in the direction of the tail of the glider.

9. A miniature projectable glider comprising in combination a body and a wing structure supported thereon for sustaining the body in flight, a bar supported upon the body for shifting movement lengthwise thereof, a striking head on the bar, and means for applying a progressively increasing force to the bar as the bar is shifted in one direction relative to the glider body.

JOSEPH H. KLEINBERG. 

